Does Sacrifice Ignore Indestructible in Magic: The Gathering?
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Yes, sacrifice completely ignores indestructible. A creature with indestructible can still be sacrificed. Indestructible only protects a permanent from being destroyed by effects that specifically state “destroy” or from lethal damage. Sacrifice is a distinct game action that moves a permanent to the graveyard as a cost or effect, bypassing destruction entirely.
Understanding Indestructible and Sacrifice
What is Indestructible?
Indestructible is a keyword ability in Magic: The Gathering that prevents a permanent (usually a creature, but also artifacts, enchantments, and even lands) from being destroyed. This means:
- It cannot be destroyed by effects that explicitly say “destroy.”
- It ignores the state-based action that sends a creature to the graveyard when it has lethal damage marked on it.
However, indestructible does not make a permanent invincible. There are several ways to remove an indestructible permanent from the battlefield, and sacrifice is one of the most direct.
What is Sacrifice?
Sacrifice is an action that involves moving a permanent you control to your graveyard. It’s often part of the cost to activate an ability or cast a spell. The crucial point is that sacrificing a permanent is not the same as destroying it. Sacrifice is a voluntary action (though sometimes forced by an opponent’s card) initiated by the controller of the permanent.
Why Sacrifice Bypasses Indestructible
The key difference lies in the mechanism of removal. Destruction is a specific game action triggered by effects or state-based actions, which indestructible nullifies. Sacrifice, on the other hand, is a player-initiated action or a forced action from an opponents card where the permanent is sent directly to the graveyard as a cost or effect. Because sacrifice doesn’t attempt to destroy the permanent, indestructible’s protection is irrelevant.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Sacrifice and Indestructible
1. Can I sacrifice a creature if it has indestructible?
Yes. As explained above, indestructible provides no defense against sacrifice effects. You can sacrifice your own indestructible creature willingly to pay a cost, or your opponent can force you to sacrifice it with a spell or ability.
2. What does kill an indestructible creature in MTG?
Besides sacrifice, here are some of the most common ways to get rid of an indestructible creature:
- Exile: Cards that exile creatures, such as “Swords to Plowshares” or “Path to Exile,” completely remove the creature from the game.
- Reducing Toughness to 0: Effects that reduce a creature’s toughness to zero (or less) will send it to the graveyard, even with indestructible. For example, spells like “Grasp of Darkness” or “Pestilent Haze.”
- Bounce: Returning the creature to its owner’s hand with effects like “Unsummon” or “Repulse” temporarily removes it.
- Putting it into a Library: Cards that place creatures into a library such as “Hinder” or “Condemn.”
- Counters: Using -X/-X counters.
- Enchantments: Using an enchantment that affects the creature.
3. Does a board wipe kill indestructible creatures?
It depends on the board wipe. If the board wipe uses the word “destroy,” indestructible creatures will survive. However, board wipes that exile creatures (e.g., “Farewell”), give creatures -X/-X (e.g., “Toxic Deluge”), or force players to sacrifice creatures (e.g., “Pox”) will affect indestructible creatures.
4. Does indestructible prevent a creature from being put into the graveyard due to having 0 toughness?
No. Indestructible only prevents destruction. State-based actions that put a creature with 0 or less toughness into the graveyard still apply, even if the creature has indestructible.
5. Does Deathtouch bypass indestructible?
No. Deathtouch makes any amount of damage dealt by a creature lethal. However, indestructible prevents the creature from being destroyed by that damage. Therefore, deathtouch does not override indestructible.
6. Do -1/-1 counters beat indestructible?
Yes. -1/-1 counters reduce a creature’s toughness. If the toughness is reduced to 0 or less, the creature is put into the graveyard, even if it has indestructible.
7. How do you remove a creature with both indestructible and hexproof?
Removing a creature with both indestructible and hexproof can be challenging. Common solutions include:
- Mass sacrifice effects: Cards that force all players to sacrifice creatures, bypassing hexproof.
- Mass -1/-1 effects: Reducing the toughness of all creatures to 0 or less with spells like “Mutilate” or “Black Sun’s Zenith.”
- Edicts: Effects that force your opponent to choose a creature to sacrifice, such as “Diabolic Edict” or “Grave Pact.”
8. Does indestructible stop trample?
Yes and no. Indestructible does not stop trample damage from being assigned. You still have to assign lethal damage to a blocking indestructible creature. Since the creature won’t be destroyed, any excess damage is assigned to the defending player.
9. Can you sacrifice a creature with 0 toughness?
You can. A creature with 0 toughness will be sent to the graveyard as a state based action, but that does not constitute as sacrificing a creature. You can sacrifice a creature with a sacrifice effect. A card has to tell you to sacrifice a creature as a cost or as an effect.
10. Can I sacrifice a creature whenever I want?
No. You can only sacrifice a creature when a card allows you to do so, either as a cost to activate an ability or cast a spell, or as the effect of a spell or ability. You cannot simply sacrifice a creature for no reason.
11. Does “Anger of the Gods” get around indestructible?
“Anger of the Gods” deals damage to creatures, and if that damage would cause a creature to die this turn, it’s exiled instead. Because indestructible creatures don’t die from damage, “Anger of the Gods” alone won’t exile them. However, if something else would cause the creature to die that turn (such as reducing its toughness to 0), “Anger of the Gods” will exile it instead.
12. Does indestructible prevent “Wrath of God”?
No. “Wrath of God” says destroy all creatures. Creatures with indestructible are unaffected by “Wrath of God.”
13. Does sacrificing a creature trigger Teysa Karlov?
Yes, Under the right circumstances. Teysa Karlov doubles death triggers of creatures you control. Thus, Teysa Karlov can trigger upon sacrificing a creature.
14. Does Hexproof stop sacrificing?
Hexproof does not stop sacrificing. Hexproof prevents creatures from being targeted by spells or abilities your opponent controls. Sacrifice effects often target the player rather than the creature, so hexproof provides no protection. However, the rules may vary when an ability or spell allows the player to choose a creature, in which case the creature cannot be chosen if it has hexproof.
15. Can you proliferate indestructible counters?
Yes. You can proliferate indestructible counters. Indestructible counters can be put on an object, including by “doubling” or “proliferating”, just like counters of any other kind. The game rules allow putting counters of any type on permanents.
Conclusion
Indestructible is a powerful ability, but it’s not absolute protection. Understanding the intricacies of game mechanics like sacrifice is crucial for effective deck-building and gameplay in Magic: The Gathering. Recognize the limitations of indestructible and exploit alternative removal methods to overcome even the most resilient threats. Consider exploring resources like the Games Learning Society for further insights into game mechanics and strategies. Visit GamesLearningSociety.org to learn more.